How Too Many Positive Reviews Can Be A Bad Thing
In the pursuit of a positive business image, many business owners tend to grapple for positive reviews. This is a good thing to do, but the best approach.
I'm certain almost everyone does this: You desire a product or service and consider purchasing from a particular brand. The first thing you do whenever you want to make a decision, whether to go with a brand or not, is to find out people's experiences with the brand.
Every business owner should understand the power of reviews. A business image and perception, by prospective clients, can be influenced greatly by the reviews of customers. This is why one major goal you strive for is to have and maintain positive reviews about your product and service via word of mouth, on your website, and review platforms.
In the pursuit of this, many business owners tend to grapple for positive reviews. This is a good thing to do, but not a great approach. In this article, we would be looking into why having too many or only positive reviews about your business might not be the best strategy as a business owner. Come find out!
3 Reasons Why Too Many Positive Reviews Can Be A Bad Thing For Your Business
I know, I know. I know what you are thinking: "who would want negative reviews for their business?" I understand that your business has a standard which must be maintained. However, some business owners go as far as deleting any negative comments in the comment section of the socials. This is not necessarily because they are selling a bad product or service, but “there's a standard to uphold and nothing must tamper with that”.
So before you draw your pitchforks, here are the reasons why you should allow some bad/negative reviews to be said about your business.
1. A too-good-to-be-true business is often a red flag
Who wants anything bad to be said about their business? No one. When shoppers go in search of what people are saying about your brand (which they would do), they often want to know what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. As much as prospective customers might want a product or service to be perfect before making a purchasing decision, they know that it can't be 100% perfect.
When your business page is full of only positive feedback, not even a Karen with a little dissatisfaction (which even the best of businesses experience), it might leave the idea that the business owner is intentionally trying to stage an appearance. In a time and age where shoppers have become more aware, and wary, of fake reviews, a smart business owner would ensure that his business doesn't give off that impression.
2. Your business can't satisfy everyone and shoppers know that
Even centuries-old businesses like Coca-Cola have customers that don't like their products or services. Mind you, this doesn't connote that the quality of the product or service is bad or low, but everyone cannot like your products or services no matter how great it is.
Once in a while, a business would experience customers that make complaints about their deliveries because it personally didn't suit that customer's desire. As a business owner you should expect that and give room for people to leave such comments on your website. That might seem counterintuitive, but that would lead me to my next point.
3. Negative reviews provide insight into how to improve your business.
Honestly, no business is perfect. Every business owner like you puts in 110% to every detail 110% of the time and that's really praiseworthy. However, sometimes, one or two things might go off that you might not be aware of as a result of a mistake. A negative feedback from a client could draw your attention to that issue and help you be aware of any shortcomings in your product or services.
Negative feedback also invites you into a creative form of problem-solving. Your customers being dissatisfied with a particular aspect of your business can help you find a creative way to solve the issue which would be a launching pad for greater customer retention.
How Every Business Owner Should Handle Negative Reviews
- Promptly respond to negative feedback on your socials or website. It shows prospective customers that you are eager to meet their needs and on the lookout to solve any inconveniences.
- Begin the reply with an apology, whether the customer is right or “right”. This gives the impression that your customer service is kind and respectful.
- Give a detailed outline on how you would solve the problem promptly either immediately or in subsequent time. This shows prospective customers that you give personalised solutions to each complaint and the business is open and secured enough to handle constructive-criticism.
- Make a promise to reach out to the customer personally and follow through with the promise.
- Put proactive measures in place to prevent such an issue from repeating itself.
Conclusion
Managing a business isn't a walk in the park. Every business owner desires to serve their customers satisfactorily. With a lot of work being put into the background, a negative feedback would be the last brand image a business owner would want.
However, this article has shown that negative feedback is not inherently bad, and having only positive reviews about your business might just have shoppers suspicious of your product.